SGOSS Newsletter - April 2012

Without the extraordinary extra-mile contributions of individuals and organisations, SGOSS could not achieve what it does, and each year we hold a Recognition Event to acknowledge these amazing contributions. The event to celebrate 2011 was held recently, and sponsored and hosted by Allen & Overy; themselves long term supporters and previous Award recipients. We had hoped that Lord Hill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools would be in attendance to present the awards; but sadly Parliamentary duties prevented this. He did however produce a video message positively endorsing governance and SGOSS, and this can be viewed at www.sgoss.org.uk. Clifford Burroughs the IT Director of United Biscuits, and Chair of the SGOSS Trustee Board took over the responsibility and proved an extremely capable deputy.

A total of 16 Awards were made to a combination of individuals and representatives of supporting organisations. Among those whose support was acknowledged was the Head of Education at Lloyds TSB Commercial, the Administrator of the Livery Schools Link, the recently retired Director General of the Institute of Directors, the Head of Undergraduate Recruitment from Manchester University, the Directors of our IT partner, the Head Teacher from Lent Rise Combined School, the head of the Charity and Voluntary sector at ICAEW, and the former Chair of the National Governors' Association. Further awards went to Harlequin Rugby Union, the CMI, HSBC, the Cabinet Office, Leeds Local Authority, Ernst and Young, John Pilling and Stony Grunow.

TES Growing Ambitions is a new careers portal that provides information and advice for teachers and careers professionals to help channel the aspirations of young people. The website hosts a rich bank of multimedia resources that can be downloaded and used in lessons to help students make informed choices about their future. The site provides news and information on the changing careers landscape, as well as access to over 4,500 free multimedia teaching resources and job descriptions. At a time when the delivery of careers advice in schools is changing, TES Growing Ambitions is a dedicated portal to help teachers and careers professionals to support young people's learning about jobs, careers and the world of work. The 2011 Education Act places a duty on schools to provide impartial careers advice for pupils in years 9–11. TES Growing Ambitions exists to support the teaching profession and to embed careers across the curriculum to ensure that young people have access to quality IAG as part of their learning from an early age.

JustTextGiving by Vodafone – lets you use the power of mobile for your school. Donating by text is already working hard for charities across the UK and now, for the first time ever, this service is available for free with JustTextGiving by Vodafone. It costs nothing to set up, there are no running costs and no commission is taken from the donations you receive. So every penny goes to your charity, where it's needed most. Your donors can also add Gift Aid through JustTextGiving by Vodafone automatically. All donations will be collected on your behalf and forwarded in a single monthly BACS payment to your charity's account or by cheque. Comic Relief and other national charities raise millions through text-based giving alone – now it can work for you too, as long as your PTA is registered with the Charities Commission. JustTextGiving by Vodafone is free, with no running costs and no catches. Donors can give instantly, as soon as they see your appeal. It's easy to set up – get started with just one free phone call and a free support pack is available to help you let people know your Vodafone Individual Code. Your PTA doesn't need to be a JustGiving member to use text donations. It includes poster, banner and leaflet templates that you can personalise online. All you need to do is send them for printing – and start raising money. To start receiving text donations, simply visit justtextgiving.co.uk to take part. You'll get a Vodafone Individual Code for your charity (eg GIVE22), which you can personalise. Donors can then send their donation by text, putting your code in the body of the text along with the amount, which can be £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10. So the text will look like this: GIVE22 £5. Donors then send this text message to 70070 which is the special JustTextGiving by Vodafone number. The entire donation is passed to the charity and the text is also free on all networks. Smartphone users will have the option to claim Gift Aid immediately on their phone.

The new 2012-13 edition of Welcome to Governance was published in January. This guide is aimed at new school governors to help them get to grips with their role and responsibilities within the governing body. It covers issues including:

• Where to go for support and advice

• How governing body meetings are conducted

• The governing body's responsibility for finance

• Governors' role in school improvement, including Ofsted inspections

In light of the Education Act 2011, it has been extensively revised to cover all recent legislation and changes to governing body regulations. Sections that are specifically relevant to either LA maintained schools or academies are clearly defined to make it easy for you to find relevant information. Discounts are available to NGA members:

Non-members: £10 NGA members: £5.50

The NGA has been working together with RM education (the producers of RAISEonline) to develop a series of briefing notes designed to help governors reach a deeper understanding of their school. They are available and free to download from the NGA website (www.nga.org.uk/Resources/Useful-Documents.aspx). Currently, there are two available: one for primary schools, and one for secondaries. They explain some of the key aspects of RAISEonline, so that governors understand how to interpret their data, and how they can subsequently make best use of it to improve their school. It does this through five key questions you should ask of your data to make you aware of important areas:

1. How does attainment and progress at my school compare to national averages and the Government's minimum standard?

2. Are we relatively stronger or weaker in English compared to mathematics?

3. Do we have any under-performing groups of pupils, or are there wide gaps in attainment between some groups of pupils?

4. How might the context of our school affect our performance?

5. How does pupil attendance compare to national averages?

Look out for the future briefing on "Knowing your Parents".

The policy clock was developed by Henry Brickell and Regina Paul to help the American equivalent to governing bodies (boards of education) separate their responsibilities from those of the Head Teacher or Principal. The NGA has adapted this to make it applicable for governing bodies. The duties are split into 6 sections; three (aims and objectives, policies, and outcome reports against standards) are the responsibility of the governing body, and three (guidance, operations documents, and process reports with standards) are for the head/principal. You should only deal with those responsibilities that are yours. The clock also gives an order in which to deal with the duties; setting the aims and responsibilities comes first, and then you use these to guide your policies. The Head Teacher/Principal creates guidance and operations documents, and then prepares a process report. The final duty is for the governors, who report against the outcomes, and whether the aims and objectives were met. The policy clock is explained fully in the new edition of Welcome to Governance and on the NGA website www.nga.org.uk

In September 2011, the NGA proposed that the two models of governance (stakeholder and business) should not be exclusive. Arguing that the different stakeholders will bring different experiences and skills to the governing body, Emma Knights suggests that a skills audit would be a good way of assessing the skills missing from your governing body. This can be used both to find training for skills that are lacking, and, if there is a vacancy on the governing body, it could direct the advertisement for recruitment of a new governor. This allows you to bring in the right skills without trying to find training, which is becoming increasingly difficult! In performing a skills audit, you can highlight the experiences of those already on the governing body, which you may not have known previously, so that you can use them to ask challenging questions in the right way. However, be aware that governors are there to challenge, not to do pro bono work. The NGA has developed a model skills audit, which is available for members of the NGA to download from the members section of the NGA website. You can also read the article by Emma Knights in Governing Matters. http://www.nga.org.uk/Members-Area/Guidance/The-Governing-Body/Skills-Audit.aspx

Under the expert chairmanship of Sir Michael Bichard, a representative group met in February to discuss options for achieving this. The debate was developed under three key headings , governor effectiveness, the role between the executive and the non-executive, stronger recruitment. Among the important conclusions reached were;

- Although more effective governance is key to driving up standards in our schools, the profile of governors is relatively low and there is a vacuum of policy in central government.

- Much of the recent debate around improving school governance has focused on skills-based recruitment and changing the composition of governing bodies. These are important. However, there is now a need for a wider debate about improving the effectiveness of governing bodies and developing the relationship between the school executive and non-executive.

- To drive up standards of governance across the country, we must work together to raise the profile of school governors so they can take on greater accountability and be recognised for the work they do. We must provide them with the best available support to do so, and we must help them and their colleagues on school leadership teams to properly understand their roles.

Potential solutions subsequently being developed include a national campaign to raise the profile of school governors, involving organisations represented at the roundtable and working through Parliament, the All Party Parliamentary Group on School Governance links with schools and the media. Also the provision of a national self-assessment toolkit which clarifies the role and responsibilities of school governors and is supported by relevant stakeholders from across the sector. I will report on progress as appropriate.

Avon Tyrrell is an Outdoor Activity Centre situated in 65 acres of the idyllic setting of the New Forest, ideal for Residential School Trips, Youth Groups, Corporate Adventure, Faith Groups, Daily Groups and Families. We offer full board accommodation in our Grade I listed House (sleeps 110), part-board or self-catering accommodation in our 6, 12 and 14 berth lodges and from March to October our small tipi village and 7 camping areas are open. Avon Tyrrell has many outdoor adventure activities to choose from and a large selection of field study programmes available that can tie into different stages of the curriculum if required. As a registered Charity (UK Youth) our main aim is for all visitors, and in particular young people, to use the stimulating location of Avon Tyrrell and the New Forest to Experience, Learn and Develop through our outdoor programmes in an enjoyable safe environment. Avon Tyrrell holds the LOtC Badge, Adventure Mark Quality Badge, is approved by the AALA, BCU, GNAS and is a Hampshire County Council DofE Centre. If you would like to find out more about Avon Tyrrell, including our competitive prices and Winter packages, please visit our website at www.avontyrrell.org.uk or phone on 01425 672 347.

Link to brochure: http://www.avontyrrell.org.uk/avon_tyrrell_activity_centre_2010.pdf

These Awards provide schools with the opportunity to recognise the contributions that support staff, individuals and teams make to the success and achievements of the overall school environment. Support staff are in many cases the unsung heroes of a school ensuring the smooth running of activities so that there is no disruption to the teaching and learning, and provide a safe and enjoyable environment for pupils. This year, following feedback from members and nominees, we have reviewed the categories and are introducing a 'Team of the Year' Award. We appreciate that sometimes it can be difficult for a school to select an individual out of an exceptional team, so the Team Award will allow more schools to make nominations. The nominations should still be made under the appropriate function heading; so Caterer or Administrator, but the Team entry box should be selected. We are also introducing an award for 'Pupil Development of the Year'. This is a combined category that will cover Lunchtime supervisors to Learning Support Assistants. We know that there are a number of varied roles within a school where support staff play a key role in adding to the development of pupils. Whether it be the introduction of an after school club, breakfast club or assisting in pupil development alongside a teacher in class. This category will allow schools to highlight the star individuals and teams that enhance the development of pupils in a school. The national finalists in each category attend the Awards Ceremony and these individuals will be notified by Friday 13th July 2012. The closing date for nominations is Friday 8th June 2012. Please note that all nominations must be endorsed by the Headteacher or Chair of Governors to pass to the judging stage. To find out more details use the link below to find the appropriate nomination form which should be returned to NASBM by the closing date. If you would like to nominate a colleague for the 2012 Awards but would like any help or assistance, then please contact Louise Burkinshaw at NASBM on 01788 573300 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The national network of Science Learning Centres delivers inspirational and innovative subject-specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to teachers, tutors, technicians and teaching assistants throughout the United Kingdom. There are nine regional Centres in England and one National Centre based in York. The Centres provide a focal point for the science education community, a place to update skills, exchange ideas with fellow science educators, the chance to network with inspirational scientists, access the latest science resources and a place to discover enrichment activities within every region. Our programme has a proven impact for both teachers and their students through inspired, skilled and enthused teaching. 85% of teachers who have attended CPD sessions at the network of Science Learning Centres have shown a wider impact on their school. For further evidence of our impact please visit www.slcs.ac.uk/research To support schools and colleges, the Science Learning Centres have secured generous funding through a series of bursaries. These bursaries are known as ENTHUSE Awards and Impact Awards and are available to state funded schools, academies and colleges in England, for more information please visit www.slcs.ac.uk/go/bursaries Every year, the network of Science Learning Centres supports 11,000 participants and we do hope that we will be able to welcome your teachers to the network in the coming year.

The University of Manchester is the UK's largest single-site University, with a rich heritage dating back to 1824. One of its three strategic goals is Social Responsibility, where it's set out to make a positive contribution to the social and economic transformation of the Manchester City-Region. All English Universities have to write a new 'Access Agreement' for the Office for Fair Access from 2012 outlining how they will support the progression to University of less advantaged learners who tend to be learning in state schools and colleges. Manchester included a plan to increase the number of staff supporting governance in local schools as part of this Agreement – the first English University to do so. The University's Head of Widening Participation, Julian Skyrme, explained "We have 11,000 staff with a huge range of skills – as academics, researchers, scientists and in professional support services like Finance, HR, Estates and Marketing. Through our partnership with SGOSS we can find vacancies and manage staff interest to support the development of local schools in a simple and effective way. Through our partnership with SGOSS we are confident we can significantly exceed our target to increase the number of our staff working as Governors in local schools by 50%".

Read Manchester's Access Agreement with the Office for Fair Access

Read about their University of Manchester School Governor Initiative (UMSGI)

The National Association of School Business Management is the UK's leading association working exclusively on behalf of the school business management profession. The Association offers the profession an influential voice in national educational policy and continually strives to raise the profile of School Business Managers. We aim to provide professional training, advice and support to all of our members.

The association is a body recognised by the Department for Education and receives requests to sit on a number of the steering groups including the School Funding Implementation Group and the Efficiency Group. NASBM are then able to both represent the views of its members in relation to items being discussed and also feedback updates and information from these meetings.

We support our members through:

• School business management advice, including initial free legal advice

• An influential voice at the DfE on funding, efficiency and key steering groups

• National and regional conferences and affiliated local group meetings

• Training programmes and bespoke 'Hot topic' guides

• Library documents including policies and guidance material

• Access to a network of school business managers across the country

• Fortnightly bulletins bringing the last information direct to your desktop

If you are not yet a member of NASBM and would like to consider joining then please visit the website for further details at www.nasbm.co.uk where you can find an online application form under how to join.

Join now: 12 months membership for the price of 10. You pay as little as £87.50* Quote: SG1210 for discount

Online: www.nasbm.co.uk/Home/Membership/How-to-Join

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. '; document.write(''); document.write(addy_text30370); document.write('<\/a>'); //-->\n This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: 01788 573300

*Membership value shown relates to primary school members only. Offer only valid for new NASBM members until 31st December 2012

If you are looking at ways to make your budget stretch further, why not consider generating new revenue streams by letting out the amenities you have at your school? Most schools' facilities are unused for a large percentage of the day, but that is time when they could be hired to others in their local community for a charge. Think about your own estblishment. Do you have any type of sports pitches or courts, either inside or out? Class rooms or lecture theatres that are equipped for meetings? A hall with a stage? A large room that could be used for a party? With many facilities lying idle for 80% of the time, it makes sense to try to match your assets to the needs of others. So, what do you need to consider? The list below is by no means exhaustive but suggets some of the things you need to think about.

• Marketing your facilities

• Diary management

• Taking payment

• Administration around deposits, invoicing etc

There is a simple solution. To find out how all this can be automatically handled, meaning more profits for your school with none of the hassle, call Strictly Education on 01908 200 289.